The Hidden Isle
by shdw dncr
Summary: The Straw-Hat crew finds a hidden island on the Grand Line! Who knows what they'll find on this island and-what's this?-Ace has a secret love!
1. A New Island

_Hi, all! This is my second fanfic, and yes, it's still One Piece. I've got lots of others in my head, but this is the first of them to reach paper. Read and enjoy!_

_NOTE: Everything in this story is mine except for the Straw-Hat crew and the names of any other pirates from the One Piece storyline._

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Having done away with the evil Sir Crocodile and saved the kingdom of Alabasta, the Straw-Hat Pirates continue their journey on the Grand Line to find the One Piece. The sea is calm and the weather is fair.

Nami sat at a desk set up on the upper deck of the Merry-Go with her maps and the log pose before her and a pencil in her hand which she drummed against her upper lip. Usopp was kneeling on the deck beside her with his arms folded on the desk, staring at the same unfinished map as Nami.

"You've been staring at this map for forever, Nami," Usopp noted. "Something wrong?"

She sighed and picked up the map. "Yes, something's wrong. It doesn't add up."

"What doesn't?"

"I have a map of the area from Vivi and I have my own that I'm making."

Usopp tilted his head. "And?"

"According to Vivi's map, there's no island for miles yet, but according to the weather patterns and the log pose, there should be an island nearby." Nami sighed again, putting the map down. She leaned back in her chair and looked up. She frowned. The upper sail was coming loose again. She got up and went to the banister. "Hey! Zoro!"

She got snores in reply.

"Zoro! WAKE UP!" Nami threw the pencil down at Zoro and nailed him in the head.

"OW!" Zoro bolted up, holding his forehead. He glared up at Nami. "What the hell was that for?"

Nami pointed up at the top sail. "The stupid sail's loose again. Tie it back up and make sure it's secure this time!"

Zoro growled, rubbing his forehead. "Again?" He looked up at the sail and grunted, annoyed. "That sail is getting on my nerves…" He got up and passed Luffy who just woke up, too.

He rubbed his eyes with a yawn. "What's da matter?" he asked sleepily.

"Nothin'," Zoro replied, grabbing a rope to climb up the mast. "Nami's just being picky again."

"Oh…" Luffy mumbled as Zoro climbed up. He got up and went up the stairs to Nami and Usopp. "The sail loose again?"

"Yeah," Nami said, picking up the log pose. She looked at it for a minute then sighed. "I feel bad for Chopper."

"Yeah…" Usopp agreed with a nod. "Too bad…being sick and all…especially right after saving a kingdom."

"Come on, it's just a fever," Luffy said. "He needs meat. That'll do him good," he repeated, like he had done for the past two hours.

"No, it won't!" Nami argued, her brow twitching from the repeated annoyance. "He needs rest! Now stop saying that!"

"But it helps me when I'm sick," Luffy said, folding his arms.

Usopp let out a laugh. "And just when are you ever sick?"

Luffy tilted his head in thought. "I don't remember," he concluded, "but meat is always good for you!"

Nami glared at him. "No. It's. Not! And if you say that one more time, I'm gonna smack you!"

Zoro made the final knot for the sail and looked down at his bickering crewmates. He sighed, reaching for the rope.

_I'd rather be sleeping…_ he thought.

Just then, a strange wind blew the rope away from Zoro's hand and he leaned too far away from the mast to catch it. He whipped around to try for the rope again but it was just out of reach of his fingertips and he let out a yell as he fell. The rope swung back with the wind and wrapped itself around Zoro's ankle and before he or his crewmates, who had all heard his yell, could act—

_Crack._

Zoro cried out in pain, hung up in the rope. He reached up shakily to free himself but his ankle throbbed and he fell back over.

"Hang on, Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed. He grabbed onto the banister, stretched himself back, and shot himself onto the mast. He reached for the rope but was batted away by Zoro.

"I—I'm fine, Luffy," he said with a grimace, grabbing the rope and pulling himself up to his ankle. He freed himself and he hung onto the rope with only his hands, letting himself down slowly.

Luffy stared at him as he freed himself then dropped down to the deck below, holding his hat on his head, and met with Usopp and Nami.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nami yelled, pointing up at Zoro. "You're supposed to be helping him!"

"He said he got it," Luffy answered calmly, still holding onto his hat.

Usopp grabbed the rope, looking up at Zoro. "I got the rope! You can come down now!"

"What do you think I'm doing, Long-Nose?" Zoro yelled down, annoyed and in pain though he tried to hide it.

The wind blew again, but harder this time, and even with Usopp at the bottom, Zoro got blown into the mast and his grip loosened when he collided with it. He started sliding down it and it took him a while before he regained his grip. He hissed as he lowered himself with burning hands the rest of the way and touched the deck with his good foot. Out of nowhere, the sky grew dark and rain started to pour. The sea grew wild, tossing and rolling beneath the ship.

"It's a typhoon!" Usopp shrieked, clinging to the mast.

"We have to get inside!" Nami yelled over the roar of the waves, heading back up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Luffy shouted, Zoro's arm over his shoulders.

"We need the log pose and the maps!" she replied. She quickly snatched them and followed them inside the cabin.

Sanji stood up next to Chopper's bed, a damp cloth in his hand. "What's going on out there?" he asked as they came in. He looked outside. "What a downpour!"

"It-it-it's terrible!" Usopp squeaked, his knees shaking. "This _huge_ storm just came out of _nowhere_!" He waved his arms wildly as he spoke for added effect and nearly whacked Zoro in the face.

"Hey, watch it!" he growled, avoiding his hand. He used the wall for support and hopped to the nearest bed without Luffy's help. He collapsed on it with a grunt of pain and covered his eyes with an arm. _I'd __really__ rather be sleeping…_

Nami gasped. "Oh, no! The sails!" she raced to the window but stopped and sighed. "I guess we don't have to worry about them after all…" The wind had already torn the main sail to shreds. She then turned to Zoro to give him some medical attention in Chopper's stead, causing him to jolt awake again.

"I was sleeping, damn it!"

After about an hour of riding out the storm, the waves eased and the rain slowed to a mild drizzle. Nami opened the door and looked out. Her face brightened.

"Hey, guys! An island!"

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_Please review! Tell me what you think-I'm always open to hear comments! luv~shdw dncr_


	2. The Good Doctor

_Okay, I've got this one ready already, so I thought I'd just give it to you all. Enjoy!_

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The crew found a beach almost right away and cast the anchor. Luffy, Nami, and Sanji then went ashore to find someone who could help their friends. The drizzling had almost ceased so they stayed pretty dry. Once past the white shoreline, they entered a sea of green. The trees seemed to go up forever and the dark brown bark was almost completely covered with moss and the undergrowth of the forest. There was no path where they were so they had to step around roots and avoid plants that seemed to lash out at their feet as they walked by.

"Hey, do you think it's a good idea to leave Usopp with Zoro and Chopper?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette and avoiding another plant that looked like it would chomp off his foot. "You think he can handle them?"

Nami sighed, stepping around a large tree root. "He's going to have to. Chopper's fever isn't going away and he can't take care of Zoro's ankle if he's sick."

Sanji grinned with beaming eyes. "You're right as always, Nami. I shouldn't doubt you."

"Hopefully this island's inhabited," Nami said, looking around. There was nothing to see except trees, ferns, and other greenery. "It's like a rainforest here…" She stopped at a still, pretty purple flower with six finger-like petals, looking at it closely. "It's so pretty."

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

Nami gasped and whipped around. Luffy and Sanji stopped and looked at the newcomer.

He was an older man with a graying beard and watery blue eyes. His face was wrinkled with a naturally crest-fallen look to him. He wore a raincoat, waterproof boots that went up to his knees, and carried a sawed-off shotgun in his hands. "That's a poison peony," he said, pointing at it with his shotgun. "One touch and you'd be paralyzed in minutes."

Nami backed away from it, holding her hands close to her chest. "We're looking for a doctor," she said, staring at the flower as it snapped shut when a bug landed in it.

The man tilted his ear towards them. "A doctor? What for?"

"One of our friends is sick and another has a broken ankle," Sanji said, eyeing the man.

"Yeah," Luffy chimed in. "We need some help."

"You come through that storm?"

"We did," Sanji replied simply, letting out a stream of smoke.

Nami looked at Luffy who was eyeing a fern with little blue sprouts on it. He touched it and it curled away from his hand. He touched it again in curiosity and it snapped back at him. He yelped, holding his stinging hand and staring at the fern.

"You want to be careful of those," the man said, whacking the fern with his gun. It went limp on impact and stayed down close to the ground. "Snap ferns have a mild toxin." He took Luffy's hand and looked at it. It quickly went from pink to red and was only slightly swelling. "It's not too bad. You'll be fine in a couple of hours," he said with a nod, dropping his hand again. "Let's get your crewmates and head to the village, but no funny business." He looked at Nami, leaning the shotgun against his shoulder. "Where's your ship?"

"It's back on the beach," she replied, pointing back the way they came.

The man thought for a while then nodded. "All right. The name's Thomas. Most folks around here just call me Tom."

"I'm Nami, this is Sanji, and this is Luffy, our Captain," Nami said, motioning to the others on introduction.

Tom nodded to each of them. "Pleasure. Now," he started back the way Nami pointed, "Let's be on our way. No telling when the rain'll start up again."

They followed Tom back with only minor difficulties as he avoided everything expertly and waited for them to catch up when he got too far ahead of them. It wasn't until they reached the beach when Nami asked,

"If you don't mind me asking, Tom, what island is this?"

"I'm not surprised you don't know," Tom replied, stopping in the sand. "This is Lagoon Isle. It's protected by frequent typhoons and most ships avoid these waters." He whistled, admiring the Merry-Go. "She's a mighty fine ship." He grinned at Luffy. "Looks like you took a beating on your way here, though."

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, it was really bad."

"Hey!" Usopp yelled from the ship, waving his arms in panic. "I need some help, you guys! Zoro's not cooperating with me!"

His plea for help was strengthened when Zoro could be heard yelling at him and then appeared, swinging his sword at the shrieking and fleeing Usopp.

The three of them went and got their crewmates, Nami carrying Chopper and Luffy and Sanji holding up a very annoyed Zoro. Luffy carried Zoro's swords under his other arm.

"This doesn't mean I wanted your help," Zoro glared at Sanji. Luffy and Sanji each had one of his arms around their shoulders. At first, it was just Luffy, but Zoro kept trying to walk and the sand always shifted beneath him and he tried using his bad foot to catch himself.

"And this doesn't mean I wanted to give it," Sanji replied with a scowl. Nami had made him do it and, since it was Nami, he couldn't say no.

Tom led them in silence around the beach. It took them a while, and it started raining again, but they made it to a huge lagoon. At the beach of the innermost part of it stood a bunch of modest houses built in a clearing.

"There it is," Tom said, his shotgun under his coat. "Misty Village." He motioned with his head towards the village. "Come on. They'll be waitin'."

He led them around the coastline and up to the village. Two men, also in raincoats, ran up to meet him. The older one spoke first.

"Tom! Where have you been? We were getting worried when you didn't come back to the rendezvous point on time." He looked at the soaked kids behind him. "Who're they?"

"That's not important right now," he replied, taking his arm. "We need to get them to cover. They've got some medical needs."

"Alexis has been asking for you," the younger one said. "She's anxiously waiting for you."

Tom laughed. "She's always anxiously waiting for me. She worries too much." He turned to the Straw-Hat crew. "Come on! Let's get you dried off!" He took Nami's arm and motioned to the others to follow.

They went into the village and into the house on the far side of the circle. The village men took off their coats and hung them up on a rack in the corner of the front room. Tom set his gun there as well. There was a fireplace with a roaring fire on the left wall, some chairs and rugs on the wood floor and other small furniture pieces. The main decorations in the room were all kinds of swords on plaques hung all around the room. Tom and the younger man fetched towels for the crew after directing Luffy and Sanji to put Zoro in one of the chairs close to the fireplace and his foot onto the padded stool in front of it. The older man had gone farther into the house to fetch the village doctor.

"How're you doing, son?" Tom asked Zoro, leaning on the back of the chair.

"Not any better than when I first got here," Zoro answered sharply, pulling himself up in the chair and throwing the towel off him and on the floor by his swords. They had taken off his boot and now his foot hurt more than ever but he wasn't going to admit that out loud.

Nami had sat down in the other chair by the fire, a towel around herself and one around Chopper who was in her lap, sleeping. "He's still got a fever," she said, feeling his forehead and then his nose. "His nose is hot and dry, too."

"Don't worry," the younger man reassured her. "Alexis can help him. She's got—"

"Thomas! You had me so worried!"

A girl about their age came up to Tom and hugged him lovingly. Her golden hair fell in light, thin waves to her mid back, surrounding her small frame. She stood about 5'5" and wore a blue tank top and a white, billowing skirt with black sandals on her feet. Around her neck was a small chain with a wide, plain silver ring on it. Her smile was bright but her eyes were a clouded blue.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Alex," Tom said with a fatherly smile, giving her a light kiss on the forehead.

"What happened? Where did you go?" she asked, seeming not to notice anyone else in the room, even Sanji who was gaping at her with heart-filled eyes. Nami was holding him back, though.

"I found these kids, Alex," he said, turning her to face them. "This is Luffy off to the left, Nami in left chair, Sanji beside her, Zoro in the right one, and Usopp on the floor in front of the fire."

Luffy was the only one not close to the fire and he watched Alexis curiously. Tom guided her hand to the chair where Zoro was sitting.

"They sailed through the storm and this one got injured on the way here," he told her.

She trailed her hand along the arm of the chair and sat at the foot of it, not looking at Zoro. She ran her hands down his leg and to his ankle when Zoro flinched and Alexis recoiled her hand back slightly. She reached out her hand again and touched his ankle gently.

"What's she doing?" Usopp asked Tom.

He only shushed him in reply, watching Alexis with a smile. She had her hands cupped around his ankle and her eyes closed.

"Heal-heal bone," she murmured softly.

Her hands glowed a soft blue and Zoro felt a strange warmth enter his leg. When the glow subsided, Alexis let him go and sat back on her heels with a smile.

"Go ahead," she said. "Try it out."

Zoro and the others looked from her to his leg. The purple color was gone as was the swelling. He flexed his toes and then rotated his ankle. It was like nothing had happened. A moment of awe came upon the crew and they looked at Alexis with admiration.

"Chopper needs help, too," Nami said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Alexis looked back up at Tom questioningly.

"On her lap," he said, answering her.

"Oh," she said simply, getting up and going towards Nami's chair. She felt for the arm and kneeled down beside it. She reached out her hand and recoiled again with a tiny gasp when her hand brushed against Chopper's fur.

"What is it?" Nami asked, surprised.

Alexis smiled again with a nod, placing her hand on Chopper's head. "Nothing, everything's fine." She gave a little hum, examining his face with her hands, and then gave an understanding smile. She put her hands on each side of his face and closed her eyes. "Heal-heal fever," she murmured. Her hands glowed again and when she let go, Chopper opened his eyes, all traces of fever gone.

"I get it!" Luffy announced suddenly, pointing at Alexis and making them all jump. "You're blind!"

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_Please review and leave your comments for me! much appreciated~shdw dncr_


	3. The HealHeal Fruit

_Well, it's a little later than I hoped for, but I've finally got this chapter out. :p Read and enjoy!_

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The crew stared at Alexis, unsure of what to say after such a startling remark. Alexis just sat back on her heels again with a pleasant and understanding smile, her hands on the arm of the chair and her unseeing eyes directed towards the other side of the room. Tom broke the silence with a booming laugh.

"Ha ha ha! Yes, my dear Alexis is blind, but don't worry," he walked towards her and touched her hand. She took it, stood, and followed him back to where he had been behind Zoro's chair. He laid his hands on her shoulders with a grin, standing behind her. "You are in good hands when under her care."

"Like I was going to say before," the younger man said, "Alexis has the powers of the Heal-Heal Fruit. She can cure anything with only a touch."

Alexis smiled, folding her hands in front of her. "Oh, please, Jake, you're exaggerating again. I can't heal _everything_."

"Well," Jake shrugged, "almost everything."

"Yes, yes," Tom said, picking up the towel off the floor and draping it over his arm. "We can discuss the fruit's limitations some other time. I'm sure our guests are weary after going through a storm and trudging through our forests."

Usopp nodded and looked at Zoro. He was already asleep and snoring lightly.

Chopper had sat up on Nami's lap, touching his head. He blinked. "Whe—where are we?"

The village men gasped, backing away slightly. Alexis just blinked her eyes, confused.

"It…it _talked_!" the older man exclaimed, staring at Chopper.

Chopper was about to retort but Nami covered his mouth with a weak laugh. "It's all right," she said. "Nothing to be afraid of."

"How can he—" Jake began but Alexis cut him off.

"It's not more important than them getting rest," she said, pushing Jake away to the coat rack. "Go home! Go home!"

"Alright, alright! I'm going!" he replied, taking his coat and heading for the door. "I'll see you later!"

After he left, Alexis turned to the older man with her hands on her hips, her head tilted to the side, silently telling him to go home, too.

"In a minute, Alex," he said, turning to Tom. "Tom, a word, please." He headed into the back room, closing the door after Tom and himself.

Alexis sighed and turned to the crew with a smile. "Whew…Sorry about that."

Nami smiled back. "It's—"

"It's no trouble at all!" Sanji beamed with sparkling eyes, at her side in an instant. He took her hand, down on one knee, and held it lovingly. "A beautiful angel like you shouldn't worry herself with trivial things such as this!"

She was surprised at first by his suddenness but closed her clouded eyes with a soft smile. "I see," she said, slipping her hand out of his. She stepped back and walked calmly to the door behind her. "Have a good rest," she said and slipped into the room. The door closed behind her with a soft _click_ and there was a moment of silence as they all stared at the door. Alexis kept her hands on the door, leaning her forehead against it gently.

"That was a bit abrupt, don'tcha think?" Usopp asked.

"Yes…" Nami mused. "I don't like it."

"How rude," Chopper grumbled, folding his arms with a furrowed brow. "It talks, indeed. That makes me so—"

"She's soooo beautiful!" Sanji said finally with a happy sigh. "Her radiance is equal to the moon. No, it _outshines_ the moon!"

"We should be more concerned about if they're going to help us or not," Nami said, rolling her eyes. He could go on and on if not stopped. She looked at Luffy. He seemed to be concentrating on something but she didn't know what. "Anyway, like she said, we should get some sleep."

Alexis couldn't help but smile. They were a funny bunch—even if they were pirates. She wondered if they would know…She touched the ring again. Maybe, maybe not…Alexis let go of the door and went over to where she knew Tom and Richard were.

This room was her father's study. In here were all his books, maps, and his mahogany desk with matching chair amongst his other possessions. Tom sat at the desk and Richard stood in front of it.

"I still don't like it," he was saying to Tom. "No matter what you say, I don't trust 'em. We need to get them pirates off this island."

"And how do you know they are pirates, Richard?" Tom asked, leaning forward and folding his hands. "They could just be—"

"They're pirates," Alexis cut in, counting in her mind as she stepped towards the two of them. "I know they are." She touched the ring around her neck as she spoke, running her fingers along its familiar grooves.

"I told you!" Richard exclaimed, pointing at Tom. "We need to get them off this island now." He pounded his fist at his final word and stared at Tom.

Tom sighed. "I still think you're being a little too hasty, Richard." He looked up at Alexis with his somber eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

She smiled to herself, holding onto the ring. "Positive."

"Now, now, Alex," Richard said, wagging his finger at her. "I know that look. Don't get any ideas about that fellow."

"But maybe they know him," she said, her smile radiant. "After all, it's been so long, I'm sure he's gotten his name out there." Her smile faded. "It's not fair that you won't let me come with you when supplies come every month. The traders know everything that's going on. We're so secluded here…"

Tom sighed again. "Please, Alex, not this again." He looked back at Richard. "The kids seem friendly enough. We'll help them with whatever supplies they need and then we'll send them off. Good enough for you?"

Richard pursed his lips together with a soft growl. "Fine." He headed for the door but stopped with his hand on the knob. "This still doesn't mean that I trust 'em." He went out, closing the door sharply behind him. He sped past the Straw-Hat crew without so much of a glance, took his coat, and went outside.

Tom sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. "So temperamental…" he muttered under his breath.

"Thomas, please," Alexis said with a smile, her hand still on the ring. "You know he just wants to protect the village, and besides, he's always grumpy."

He closed his eyes. "…only since your father—" He stopped and looked back at Alexis. She had turned away slightly and closed her blind eyes. Her face was a mixture of anger and pain. He watched her hand slowly grip the ring, her other hand fisting her blouse. "Alexis…" He stood and came around the desk to her. "You mustn't blame yourself for his death…It wasn't your—"

"But it was my fault!" she said painfully. "It was all because I wasn't there to stop them! I got there too late! If only I had—"

"Shh, shh," he quieted her and hugged her gently. "Hush now. You must be strong. You are the Captain's daughter. He would expect nothing less from his child." He pulled her away, holding her shoulders. "You are all grown up now and he would be very proud of you, just like I am."

Alexis smiled and hugged him lovingly. "Thank you, Thomas."

Nami leaned her head back against the wall with a relieved sigh. She had been sitting next to the door, listening to what floated her way. _At least they're going to help us._ She thought, looking at her crewmates. Zoro was zonked out in the chair, Chopper resting quietly in the other one. Sanji was asleep, leaning against Chopper's chair, and Luffy and Usopp were on the floor in front of the fireplace.

_I just hope we don't outstay our welcome…_

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_Thanks for reading and dealing with my odd update times! Please review!_

_Luv y'all lots ~ shdw_


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